CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION ISSUES CEASE AND DESIST
ORDER AGAINST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS IN HAGERSTOWN

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that his
Consumer Protection Division has issued a cease and desist order
against a wedding photography business that it alleges took payments
from consumers for wedding photography services but failed to provide
the wedding photographs.

The Division has charged Gary L. Knode, Jr. with taking money from
consumers for photography goods and services, but failing to actually
provide consumers with the goods and services or a refund. Mr.
Knode operates Firefly Fotografic at 625 Potomac Avenue, Hagerstown,
Maryland 21740. His business formerly was known as Picket Fence
Fine Portraiture. Mr. Knode met with consumers in their homes and
collected thousands of dollars from them for wedding photography
services, but failed to provide them with their wedding photographs
and portraits.

The Division’s order immediately bars Knode, individually
and doing business as Firefly Fotografic and Picket Fence Fine
Portraiture, from acting or offering to act as a photography business
and from collecting advance payments from consumers. The order
further requires Knode to pay restitution to all consumers who
paid him for photography goods and services but did not receive
their wedding photographs and other goods. "The failure of
this company to provide wedding photographs robbed consumers of
something that is irreplaceable," said Curran. "Companies
that offer wedding photography services and collect advance payments
must provide the photographs for which the consumers paid."

A hearing has been scheduled for September 20, 2005 at the Office
of Administrative Hearings. Consumers who have had problems with
Knode or one of his businesses, Firefly Fotografic or Picket Fence
Fine Portraiture, should call the Consumer Protection Division
at (410) 576-6569.